Broken Heart Syndrome
Written by Katherine Hooper.
With Valentine's day almost here, it's a good time to think about people who may present with "broken heart syndrome", otherwise known as Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.
Patients with this syndrome will usually present with symptoms such as shortness of breath and sudden 'squeezing' chest pain and mimics a heart attack. However, sometimes the symptoms are more subtle, only presenting with increased shortness of breath, sudden onset of marked fatigue, cold sweats, or lightheadedness. It is more common amongst women however the proportion of cases in men has risen in recent decades.
The condition is usually caused by severe emotional distress such as a loss of a loved one or physical stress including serious medical conditions such as stroke, cancer diagnosis, surgery or trauma. Any of these events can make the body's 'fight or flight' response activated thus releasing a surge of stress hormones including adrenaline that can 'stun' the microscopic vessels, limiting blood flow to the heart. This can temporarily alter the shape of the left ventricle with a widened apex and narrowed proximal part of the ventricle which on ECHO appears to be the shape of a Takot Subo (Japanese for octopus pot). The structural change reduces the effectiveness of the heart muscles to pump blood effectively from the left ventricle to the right.
The condition is usually temporary and will improve over the course of a few months with no long term heart damage. However, people with multiple comorbidities can have long lasting effects and never fully recover.
How to mend a Broken Heart?
Currently there is no specific cure although a variety of medications can help to support the heart to pump effectively such as ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin-Receptor Blockers (ARB's), Beta Blockers and Diuretics, which help to decrease the workload on the heart and ease the body's stress response. It is also recommended that patients work on reducing their stress levels with practices such as deep breathing and meditation which help by modifying the activity in specific regions of the brain that respond to stress. There is also no specific downside to practicing stress-reduction techniques and it may help to lower the risk of other cardiovascular conditions.
How we can help at South Island Heart
At South Island Heart we are able to provide diagnostic services ECG's, Exercise Stress Tests, Echocardiograms and a Cardiologist review if required. If you have a patient who you suspect has Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, call us today to arrange testing with minimal wait times.